Vatican: Many Catholics ignore teachings on sex

Pope Francis waves as he is driven through the crowd during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Associated Press

Pope Francis gives the thumbs up as he is driven through the crowd during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)The Associated Press

Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican conceded Thursday that most Catholics reject its teachings on sex and contraception as intrusive and irrelevant and officials pledged not to "close our eyes to anything" when it opens a two-year debate on some of the thorniest issues facing the church.

Core church doctrine on the nature of marriage, sexuality, abortion and divorce isn't expected to change as a result of the debate that opens in October. But Pope Francis is well aware that the church has lost much of its relevance and credibility in today's secular world and he is seeking to redirect his ministers to offer families, and even gays in civil unions, a "new language" that is welcoming and responds to their needs.

The Vatican on Thursday issued the working document for the synod discussions, which in itself marked a sharp change from past practice: The Vatican sent out a 39-point questionnaire seeking input from ordinary Catholics around the world about their understanding of, and adherence to, the church's teaching on sexuality, homosexuality, contraception, marriage and divorce.

Thousands of ordinary Catholics, clergy and academics responded, providing the Vatican with an unprecedented compilation of grass-root data to guide the discussion. Usually, such working papers are compiled by bishops alone.

The responses, which were summarized in the working document, were brutally honest.

"A vast majority" of responses stressed that "the moral evaluation of the different methods of birth control is commonly perceived today as an intrusion in the intimate life of the couple and an encroachment on the autonomy of conscience," the document said.

"Many responses recommend that for many Catholics the concept of 'responsible parenthood' encompasses the shared responsibility in conscience to choose the most appropriate method of birth control."

Confronted with such a reality, Vatican officials were asked at a press conference if the church might actually change its position to align itself with the practice of most of its faithful rather than hold onto teachings that so many Catholics reject.

Based on Francis' own wishes to open the discussion at all, deliberate for so long and canvass ordinary Catholics for their input, "We will not close our eyes to anything," said Monsignor Bruno Forte, a meeting organizer. "These problems will be considered."

That said, the document makes clear the value of the church's core doctrine.

It laments that the media and its own priests have failed to communicate the "positive" aspects of the Vatican's key document banning artificial contraception, the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae. And it stresses that what is needed is better pastoral outreach and a "new language" to communicate the complete vision of marriage and family life that the church espouses.

"Some observations inferred that the clergy sometimes feel so unsuited and ill-prepared to treat issues regarding sexuality, fertility and procreation that they often choose to remain silent," the document said.

The officials presenting the report were asked what advice about sexuality, matrimony and the ups and downs of raising children a group of celibate men could offer Catholics when they themselves had chosen not to have sex, marry or have families.